


Job Fair

by Hermit9



Category: Shadowrun
Genre: Fluff, Gen, Puntastic, Worldbuilding
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-24
Updated: 2019-03-24
Packaged: 2019-12-06 21:30:28
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 589
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18225659
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Hermit9/pseuds/Hermit9
Summary: Wednesday mornings were hiring fair for the Phoenix.





	Job Fair

**Author's Note:**

> Tiny ficlet in my Shadowrun world.
> 
> For more of Zan : [Mouthful of Feathers](https://archiveofourown.org/works/15794115)  
> For more of Muse : [Come on and try my new parts](https://archiveofourown.org/works/13179684) (mind the tags)

Zan sighed and gripped her mug thighter. She was on her fourth soycaf of the morning, and while she couldn’t really get any ill-effect from the caffeine the warmth was grounding. Wednesday mornings were hiring fair for the Phoenix. It had started slow, but as words spread of humane working condition the tradition had snowballed into an incoherent mess that made her want to scream. People would line up during the night, the queue snaking through the parking lot and out unto the street. At 9 am sharp, groggy and annoyed, she would open the door and one by one, they would walk in and talk about what they could do. How far they would go for one warm meal a day and a handful of nuyen.

A lot of the SINless had nothing, little skills, little hope to gain more. Sometimes she had fallen corporate stars, salaryman who had the misfortune of courting the wrong wife. They would stream in, be examined, and for the most part rejected. She didn’t have room for all of them, and loyalty kept staff turnover low. Zan would sit at the table until they were all gone or until the sun had set. The latter happened more and more. Security staff had their hands full when she had to dismiss the remnants, while the cleaners scrubbed the whole establishment from top to bottom. There was no business at the White Phoenix on Wednesdays. 

She tried to tell herself it was worth it, to give dignity to people who might, on a windfall, be patrons. However, dignity didn’t usually come with uncontrolled guffawing.

“No. Absolutely not.” Ethel’s lips were drawn as tight as the chignon pulling her hair back. It matched the rest of her disapproval, from the matronly cut of her dress and the rod straight line of her back. Ethel had been a dancer, once, and read to most people as the strictest of head mistresses. 

“I think it’s wonderful,” said Muse, between huge intake of breath. She was leaning over the table, hiding behind a curtain of coiled hair and moved with her laughter.

“I will _not_ have Akiko introduce someone as Miss Tals,” said Ethel.

“Tals. Jennie Tals,” answered Muse, twirling an imaginary glass in front of her. 

Zan groaned. She knew enough of Muse’s obsession with old movies to get the reference. “I’m with Ethel on this one.” She looked at the girl. She was pretty, with clear skin and big innocent eyes that would be a draw from some patrons. “How about a nice classical one, like Crystal, or maybe Lola?”

“Can I be called Raiponce?” asked the girl, after taking a moment to consider it.

“What kind of name is that?” Zan asked, though the fact that Muse had stopped even trying to write down notes told her everything she needed to know. At least she had moved into silent gasping laughter.

“Rapunzel, but in French. Everything sounds better in French.” 

Zan met Ethel’s eye and shrugged with one shoulder. 

“That will do. You start next week.” Ethel waves past them to the left, where a man and a woman were already waiting. “Go wait in the lounge, physical exams are this afternoon and you’ll have to agree to a full screening.”

Zan wished the girl, Raiponce, didn’t look as relieved and as thankful as she did. She pushed back from the table and went to get more coffee as the next one in line shuffled forward meekly. One done. A few hundred more to go. 


End file.
